Jaiminīya (Talavakāra) Brāhmaṇa 23
English (machine translation) 23
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23.131
'May we thrive, O Agni, in thy...'— / thus they are verses with 'ā'. / That which is the ukthas in the sacrificial division is as if cut off. / That they are verses with 'ā' is for the smooth continuation of the sacrifice.
23.132
On these [verses is] the Saṃjaya. / The gods and the asuras contested in these worlds, / in this world. Those gods desired, 'May we completely conquer these worlds; may we conquer the asuras, the competing rivals.' / They saw this sāman. / With it they praised. / With it they completely conquered these worlds; they conquered their competing rivals, the asuras. / In that they completely conquered these worlds, that is the conquering nature (saṃjayatva) of the Saṃjaya. / One who knows thus completely conquers these worlds, conquers his competing, hateful rival. / And it is fivefold; it is performed on the fivefold day. Cattle indeed are fivefold. / Cattle are this day; [it is] for securing cattle. / They also call it the Vāmadevya with two hiṃ-sounds. / The Simas are cattle; the Revatīs are cattle; the Vāmadevya with two hiṃ-sounds is cattle. / Those who praise with it become rich in cattle. / Moreover, whatever is performed on this day that is cruel, as it were, beyond the Śakvarī verses, that they pacify with these two hiṃ-sounds. / Then the Saumitra, which kills rivals and possesses Indra. / One who knows thus slays his hateful rival, and Indra comes to his call.
23.133
Three saw the brahman: Nodhās a third, Sumitra a third, Bṛhaduktha a third. / Since the Naudhasa is performed in the first three-day period, thereby the first three-day period is endowed with brahman. / And since the Bārhaduktha is performed in the third three-day period, thereby the third three-day period is endowed with brahman. / By these sāmans these three-day periods are indeed endowed with brahman. / It has a five-syllable finale, the form of the fifth day, for the continuity and non-interruption of the five-day rite. / 'This Soma has been pressed for thee, O Indra'— / in that it says 'has been pressed' (asāvi), it is the form of the Simas.
23.133.p1
On these [verses is] the Mahāvaiśvāmitra.
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By this indeed Viśvāmitra secured greatness, abundance, and priority in cattle.
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This sāman brings cattle.
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He who knows thus steadily secures the greatness and abundance of cattle.
23.133.p5
Indra wished to slay Vṛtra.
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He ran up to Viśvāmitra: 'O seer, we run to you; speak on our behalf here!'
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Viśvāmitra saw this sāman.
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With it he chanted praise.
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Then Indra slew Vṛtra.
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He said, 'Great indeed has this deed of Viśvāmitra become!'
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That is the Mahāvaiśvāmitra's nature as the Mahāvaiśvāmitra.
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And it is a slayer of the rival.
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He slays the hateful rival who knows thus.
23.133.p14
It has three iḷās; cattle are indeed iḷā.
23.134
This day is cattle, indeed for securing cattle of successive order. The three Iḷās are a medicine indeed. The three Iḷās are that which is auspicious and peaceful in speech. Because they are three Iḷās on the fifth day, they thereby pacify the twenty-seven-fold stoma. Now, the seasons departed upward from the sun. He desired: 'May the seasons not depart from me; may they turn toward me.' He saw this sāman. He praised with it: 'Hehayā, o hā, o hā'—these are indeed his horses, just as they might be steeds. Then indeed the seasons did not depart from him. Thereupon they turned back to him. They entered into him. He mounted upon them. That very one shines, elevated in that fortune upon the seasons and the year. Because Viśvāmitra saw it, it is called the Mahāvaiśvāmitra. That becomes the acchāvāka's sāman containing 'iḷā'. Cattle indeed are iḷā. They firmly establish themselves right in cattle.
23.134.p1
'The light of the sacrifice clarifies itself, the dear mead'—
23.134.p2
this is the characteristic form of the Simā verses.
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Common indeed is the characteristic form of the Simās and the Revatīs.
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From the Simās the Revatīs were fashioned.
23.134.p5
He says 'light'.
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He thereby places light right in the offspring.
23.134.p7
And 'light' and 'clarifies itself' are the characteristic form of the Gāyatrī.
23.134.p8
In the Gāyatrī this day is extended.
23.134.p9
'Father of the gods, begetter, rich in treasures'—
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Prajāpati indeed is the father of the gods; he is the begetter; he is rich in treasures.
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Belonging to Prajāpati is this day.
23.134.p12
'He places the treasure, secret through the twin oblations; most exhilarating, intoxicating, potent sap'—
23.135
for this day is sap. That sap which flowed beyond the fifth day became this day. It is this very sap. 'Roaring, the prize-winner rushes toward the vat'—they thus release the bull into the Revatī verses at the morning pressing for generation. 'Lord of heaven, thousand-streamed, far-seeing'—that which has 'hundred' or 'thousand' is the characteristic form of the Jagatī; this day belongs to the Jagatī. 'The tawny one sits in the seats of Mitra, purified with sheep-fleeces, with rivers, as a bull'—there are verses containing 'bull', which is the characteristic form of the Bṛhat; this day belongs to the Bṛhat. 'At the front of the rivers thou rushest, being clarified; foremost of speech, thou goest leading among the cattle. At the front of the prize thou dost partake of great wealth; having fine weapons, thou art pressed by the pressers, O Soma'—it contains 'front' and 'foremost'. For this day is foremost, which belongs to the Bṛhat. Foremost is the thirty-three-fold of stomas. That [day] the Revatī verses follow accordingly.
23.135.p1
These verses are Jagatīs, possessing the color of the Jagatī, made prosperous by the characteristic form of the day.
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Wherever they make prosperous with the characteristic form of the day, there prosperity is attained.
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He attains prosperity who knows thus.
23.135.p4
'The prize-winners have rushed forth'—
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it is the corresponding verse, referring to what has already occurred.
23.135.p6
These verses thereby repeat after the six-day period that has been released.
23.135.p7
Regarding this they say: 'They begin the characteristic form of the day with the stotriya verse, and that of the sāman with the corresponding verse.'
23.136
The stotriya and the corresponding verse are two: out-breath is the stotriya, in-breath the corresponding verse. Having made them prosperous by out-breath and in-breath, they proceed. 'Rich in cattle, O Soma juices, rich in horses, bright, rich in heroes, swift'—there are verses containing 'cow' and 'cattle', indeed for the securing of cattle; for this day is cattle. 'Beautifying themselves, being wiped by those observing cosmic order in the hands, they clarify through the sheep's wool fleece'—this is the characteristic form of the Revatīs. 'May they [bring] all wealth to the worshipper'—there are verses containing 'all'; for this day belongs to the All-Gods. 'May the heavenly, the earthly Soma juices clarify, and the ones of the intermediate space'—he thus takes hold of these worlds together. These worlds indeed are Prajāpati; this day belongs to Prajāpati. Prajāpati is the sixth abode of the deities.
23.136.p1
'Clarify thyself, bringing enjoyment to the gods'—
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this is the beginning of the ten-verse hymn. 'It has passed by,' they say, or 'It has approached.'
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This day is, as it were, approached.
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'To the strainer, O Soma, with speed'—
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'Enter Indra, O drop, as a bull'—
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there are verses containing 'bull', the characteristic form of the Bṛhat.
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This day belongs to the Bṛhat.
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'Bend hither, great delight'—
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there are verses containing 'ā' ('hither'), precisely to avoid passing beyond.
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For they go to the end, as it were, at this time.
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[They do so] thinking: 'Lest we pass beyond, heading away from the six-day rite.'
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'They have milked the dear mead'—that milked fluid, the milk of the Mahānāmnī verses, that became the Revatīs.
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That which is the Revatīs is indeed that milked fluid, the milk of the Mahānāmnīs.
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'To thee, the great one, the great ones [flow]'—great indeed is the thirty-three-fold stoma.
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The Revatī verses [follow] that very one.
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'The waters, the rivers flow'—
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'When thou shalt clothe thyself with cattle'—
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'The ocean has wiped himself in the waters, the pillar, the support of heaven'—
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'Soma in the strainer, favoring us'—
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there are verses containing 'water'.
23.137
For this day is waters. 'The tawny bull has bellowed'—there are verses containing 'bull', the characteristic form of the Bṛhat; for this day belongs to the Bṛhat. 'Great like Mitra, fair to behold'—for this day is great, because it is thirty-three-fold. 'Thy songs, O Indra, actively wipe with might, wherewith thou adornest thyself for intoxication. We ask that of thee, the active, the place-maker, for intoxication, for thy great renown. Gainer of cattle art thou, O drop, gainer of men, gainer of horses, and gainer of booty, the ancient soul of the sacrifice'—there are verses containing 'cow' and 'cattle', indeed for the securing of cattle; for this day is cattle. 'For us, O drop, clarify with a stream of sweet juice possessing faculty, like Parjanya with rain'—it is a ten-verse hymn. The Virāj has ten syllables; the Virāj is food; [it is] indeed for the securing of food from the Virāj.
23.138
en: “Together win and conquer, O Soma!”—this is the subsequent set of ten verses. Through this they obtain the virāj, food, in regular order. The seers, desiring prosperity, indeed saw this dear approach of speech: “Then make us more prosperous! Then make us more prosperous!” With that they praised. Then indeed all of them prospered. All indeed prosper who, knowing this, praise with this set of ten verses. They place the refrain at the end. The sixth day is sap, to prevent its overflowing. Just as one would plaster a dam for waters, exactly so do they place the refrain at the end to prevent the sap from overflowing. It consists of four verses to obtain four-footed cattle. They are cryptically two-footed, to obtain two-footed cattle. It is, as it were, distinct praise of man (nārāśaṃsa) for the attainment of both desires, both the divine and the human. They place the refrain at the end. The sixth day is sap, to prevent its overflowing.
23.138.p1
en: Now Taranta and Purumīḍha, sons of Vidad-aśva, after accepting much from Dhvasra and Puruṣanti,
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en: felt as if they had swallowed poison.
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en: They touched with a finger what had been gained.
23.138.p4
en: They desired: “May what is not gained by us be gained; may it be as if taken, not accepted!”
23.139
en: They saw this set of four verses. With it they went against [the gift]. Then indeed what had not been gained by them became gained; it was as if taken, not accepted. If anyone, having accepted [a gift], should desire, “May what is not gained by me be gained; may it be as if taken, not accepted,” he should go against [it] with this set of four verses. What has not been gained indeed becomes gained by him; it is as if taken, not accepted. “These Somas have been let loose”—these are the final [verses], recounting what has occurred. These indeed recount the six-day rite that has been brought forth. “Purifying yourself, you flow forth to cattle, to strength, to enjoy; winning booty, flow around!”—thus they contain [the word] ‘around’ (pari), the form of the end, for this day is the end. “And flow to us all around, O praises, with cattle-rich refreshings, being praised by Jamadagni!”—thus is the concluding turn, for the stability of offspring and the preservation of cattle. The stoma is the thirty-three-fold. All deities are thirty-three. They go firmly establishing themselves in all deities.
23.140
en: In this regard they say: “Five days are paired; the sixth day is unpaired.” In that “This praise to worthy Jātavedas…” is the Ājya laud to Agni, by that the sixth day is made paired. “As a chariot may we direct with wisdom…”—by this it is made paired. The hotṛ invokes a blessing for the sacrificer on the earlier days; the udgātṛ on this [day]. Whoever invokes a blessing with the sāman, his [life/wealth] is, as it were, diminished. In that there is: “O Agni, in your friendship may we not suffer harm; O Agni, in your friendship may we not suffer harm,” they thereby perform a remedy, an expiation. Thus his is not diminished. They place the refrain at the end. The sixth day is sap, to prevent its overflowing. Just as one would plaster a dam for waters, exactly so do they place the refrain at the end to prevent the sap from overflowing.
23.140.p1
en: “Facing you both at the rising of the sun…”
en: —this is the Maitrāvaruṇa laud.
en: For at this time the stomas, meter, seasons, and soma cups turn toward [each other].
en: And because
en: “Facing you both…”
en: occurs, therefore food is set out according to each season. The other stotras have refrains at the end;
en: [these] are the lauds.
en: But this one has no refrain at the end.
Linked texts (1)
- Jaiminīyabrāhmaṇa — Sanskrit